A.M.S

Hi everyone,
Just been for my 1st check-up, atrial pacing 2.4%, Ventricular pacing 99%.Can anyone xplain what an AMS log episode is? Apparently I had one on 20th Feb for 6 seconds!It says peak A rate 200 (min) and further along a graph showing V rate during AMS 100% of the time and along bottom line between 75 n 85 (min)!
Don't have a clue what all that means.

11 Comments

AMS Episode Log

by SMITTY - 2009-03-12 03:03:03

Hello Sputnick,

Below are a couple of excerpts from articles on AMS Episode Log. I think I understand what they are talking about but rather than maybe give along some bad info I'll not add my comments. I'll just wait for one of our resident experts to enlighten us further.

"AMS Episode Log AMS prevents the pacemaker from tracking atrial

tachyarrhythmias which are common in heart failure patients. The AMS log lists up to 32 recorded AMS episodes, (first 16 frozen and the last 16 continuous) recording each episode’s date and time, duration, and maximum rate achieved. The AMS log will display an ECG symbol for an episode with a stored EGM."

"Methods: We report the course of therapy for an 87-year-old with symptomatic sinus node dysfunction and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who was intolerant of drug therapy.

Results: The patient received a pacemaker for treatment of sick sinus syndrome. She continued to have symptomatic episodes of AF and was intolerant of pharmacologic therapy despite adequate rate support provided by the pacemaker. The AF suppression algorithm in the pacemaker was enabled, resulting in the elimination all AF episodes effectively eliminating the need for antiarrhythmic medication. If this continues to stabilize her atrium, withdrawal of anticoagulation therapy is anticipated."

Smitty

AMS

by Trinity - 2009-03-12 04:03:34

I thought AMS stood for Acute Multiple Sclerosis. My aunt has that.

episodes

by Tracey_E - 2009-03-12 05:03:09

I don't know what all of that means but it sounds like your atrial rate hit 200 for 6 seconds. If your atrial rate goes higher than your maximum set rate (which is definitely way under 200, probably no more than 140) and your ventricle is paced and therefore doesn't keep up (because it only goes as high as the max rate), it shows up as an event on your pm. It's usually nothing to worry about, it just means something out of the ordinary happened so the pm made a note of it.

AMS

by SMITTY - 2009-03-12 05:03:47

Trinity,

It very will could stand for Acute Multiple Sclerosis, but in this case I think it is :

Auto Mode Switch (AMS) Log - Stores rate and duration information for mode switch episodes.

This would not be the first time I have seen an acronym have had more than one definition.

Smitty

Automatic Mode Switching/logging

by ElectricFrank - 2009-03-12 11:03:36

According to the technical manual for my Medtronics Kappa 701, automatic mode switching detects artial rates in excess of the upper limit and reacts by switching modes. If the normal mode is DDD or DDDR (rate response ON) where the ventricles track the atrial rate, and an episode of Afib or ATach occurs, the mode is switched to VDIR. This mode disconnects the ventricles from the atrium and the ventricles are paced at a rate determined by program in the pacer. Instead of just limiting the rate to the upper limit, this mode attempts to bring things back into sync.

The log just keeps a record of these events.

Hope this helps. I've just said what Smitty and Tracey said in a different way.

frank

thanks Again)

by sputnick - 2009-03-13 06:03:05

Thanyou, I knew all my friends on this site would be able to help me out. I had found something similar to what Smitty said but didn't understand what it meant.
, but now I do.
I am now curious as to why it happened, but I have an appointment soon with my cardiologist and will ask him. I am now nearly 7 weeks post pm and feeling really well and have been told I can start swimming again, so feel quite "normal" again!
Hop you all are feeling good and have a lovely weekend
Janx

frank

by Tracey_E - 2009-03-13 06:03:05

I just knew you'd know what all the letters stood for :o)

why

by Tracey_E - 2009-03-13 08:03:12

Janx, it happens to me all the time, usually triggered by working out, sometimes by caffeine. They don't really know why, but as long as it's not symptomatic and not dangerous it's probably not worth the trouble of finding out why. I've found out I have all sorts of occasional atrial anomalies, I probably always had them but without the pm to record them we didn't know about them.

Red wine!!

by sputnick - 2009-03-13 08:03:34

Thanks for that Tracey. I looked to see when it happened and it was a Friday, coming up to tea-time. The weekend starts here, glass of red wine time! Maybe it was that. Usually get red cheeks n sometimes palps with red wine (never white, stramgely),but like it tooo much to give it a miss.
I feel better knowing someone else has this and is perfectly o.k. with it, so not concerned about it now. Well,it's Friday again so red wine again while watching red Nose night on t.v. Should be a good night!
Jan x

wine

by Tracey_E - 2009-03-13 09:03:32

Oh yeah, wine can do it also! I keep it in mind as I happily sip my wine. :o)

Enjoy your start to the weekend!

Know what NDD is?

by ElectricFrank - 2009-03-14 12:03:46

Since were working on all that alphabet soup I should let you know that my name is properly Frank, NDD.

The NDD stands for No Damned Degree.

frank, NDD

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